First, let me say that I do NOT own that Peanuts original. That there is probably a $30,000 work of art! I’m fortunate to have access to a lot of original comic strips in my day job. It’s an awesome experience to be able to hold work of some of the greats in your hand!

Where do you work that you get to play with AMAZINGNESS?!! So jealous.

The museum was incredible. I was part of a tour, and took a wrong turn right into his studio. Everything was set up the way he’d left it. I actually got emotional, a little overwhelmed. Even started to tear up a bit. Pretty incredible. It really gave me a lot of perspective on my own career too. Just the fact that he did 18,000 strips over 50 years… yeah, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, lol.

I work for an auction company in the comic book, comic book and comic strip original art division. I’d heard that Schulz’s studio was set up just as he left it, so I understand your emotion. 18,000 strips is a daunting achievement, even for Schulz! I try to keep things in perspective, though, he had over 50 years to work full time on it, so that helped. Thanks for sharing about the museum tour. I’d love to read a blog post on your site with more detail about your visit, hint, hint.

I think what people are suggesting here, Mark, is that you COULD own that Peanuts original… If you were inclined to employ the five-finger discount… 😉 Seriously, it’s fun seeing the two side-by-side. Really illuminates how you’ve captured that classic comic strip feel in your art. They seem right at home together.

Oh, that strip would look great on my wall, that’s for sure! I appreciate your nice words about the strips side-by-side. I’ve always been a fan of Schulz (who isn’t), but the earliest ones from the early 50s are some of my favorites.

Classic, Aidan! The strip in the photo is from 1951, one year into the strip’s run, so Schulz was still developing ‘ole Blockhead and the gang. It’s fun to see early strips, everybody morphs over time.

Hjortur, it is a marvelous job. You wouldn’t believe all the incredible one-of-a-kind art and comics I’ve had in my hands. One thing I can say is that people do cherish comic strip and comic book original art. It’s amazing that so much of it is still around after so many years.

Those early 50s Peanuts strips were great. I love his style back then, something that kinda fell away as the strip grew older. He was obviously much younger and spent a lot more time on each individual strip. His line is more careful. Also the stories are more charming, less sarcastic. In the 80s-90s he said he could knock out up to 6 strips in a day! Wow, I guess the art suffers at that point…

Yeah, that wiggle came after his first stroke. He didn’t really do it on purpose, he said it actually made it harder to draw, but there is not doubt that after so many strips he achieved a sort of shorthand way of drawing.